Lavender plant named ‘Silver Royalty’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Silver Royalty’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; durable greyed green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; large blue-colored flowers positioned on long and strong peduncles; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lavandula lannatum×Lavandula angustifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Silver Royalty’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Lavender Plant Named ‘Blue Royalty’.

Applicant: Lammert Koning.

Filed: Concurrently with this application (U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 12/228,286).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavenderplant, botanically known as Lavandula lannatum×Lavandula angustifolia,and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Silver Royalty’.

The new Lavender plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Nuis, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new strong Lavender cultivars withattractive plant form and flower coloration.

The new Lavender plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2004 of an unnamed selection of Lavandula lannatum,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selectionof Lavandula angustifolia, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent.The new Lavender plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor inAugust, 2005 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment inNuis, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lavender by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Sappemeer, The Netherlands sinceNovember, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Lavenderplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lavender have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the new Lavender plant. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Silver Royalty’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Lavender:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Durable greyed green-colored leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Large blue-colored flowers positioned on long and strong        peduncles.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lavender differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Lavender are not as pubescent as        leaves of plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender have more compact inflorescences        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Lavender are more freely flowering than        plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Lavender differ from plants of the male parent,selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavender and male parent selection differ        in leaf color as plants of male parent selection have        green-colored leaves.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender and male parent selection differ        in flower color as plants of male parent selection have dark        purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lavender can be compared to plants of Lavandulaangustifolia ‘Sawyers’, not patented. Plants of the new Lavender differin flowering habit as plants of the new Lavender are more freelyflowering than plants of ‘Sawyers’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Lavender plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Lavender.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Silver Royalty’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘Silver Royalty’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view ofthe upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Silver Royalty’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in 14-cm containers in Paterswolde, The Netherlands during thespring in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices whichapproximate those generally used in commercial Lavender production.Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typicalflowering plants. Plants were pinched once and were one year old whenthe photographs and description were taken. During the production of theplants, day temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 20° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 0° C. to 14° C.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula lannatum×Lavandula angustifolia    ‘Silver Royalty’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Lavandula            lannatum, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Lavandula            angustifolia, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at 14° C. to            25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at 14° C.            to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About eight            weeks at 14° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About ten            weeks at 14° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial subshrub. Compact, upright and            outwardly spreading plant habit; broad inverted triangle.        -   Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit, about 28 lateral            branches.        -   Plant height.—About 24.4 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 25.7 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 11.3 cm. Diameter:            About 2 mm. Internode length: About 1.9 cm. Strength:            Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            Close to 137B to 137C; pubescence, close to 192C to 192D.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 3.9 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Fragrance: Very            aromatic, pungent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:            Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138C            to 138D; pubescence, close to 192C to 192D. Fully expanded            leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 191A; pubescence,            close to 192C to 192D; venation, close to 191A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single sessile flowers            arranged on long and strong spikes. Freely flowering, about            60 open flowers and flower buds per spike; flowers            salverform with a two-lobed upper lip and a three-lobed            lower lip.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; continuous            throughout the summer in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual inflorescences            last about ten days on the plant. Flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 90A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About            1.6 cm.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 6 mm. Depth (height): About 1.2 cm.        -   Petals.—Lip length: About 1.1 cm. Lip width: About 3 mm. Lip            shape: Roughly spatulate. Lip: Rounded; emarginate. Lip            margin: Entire. Lip texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Lip color: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 93B; tube, close to 92B. When            opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 92A to            92B; tube, close to 92C.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused into a campanulate            tube. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,            immature and mature, upper surface: Close to 90B;            pubescence, close to 192C to 192D. Color, immature and            mature, lower surface: Close to 90A; pubescence, close to            192C to 192D.        -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 4.2 cm. Diameter:            About 1.5 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: Close to 137B to 137C; pubescence, close to 192C to            192D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.            Filament length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther            length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 165A. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 163A. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 3.5 mm.            Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 93A. Style            length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 155C. Ovary color:            Close to 144B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavender have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lavender.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lavender have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from about −15° C. to about 40° C.

1. A new and distinct Lavender plant named ‘Silver Royalty’ asillustrated and described.